Romania Approves Patriot System Transfer to Ukraine, Awaiting Parliament's Final Decision

The coalition government of Romania has approved a bill allowing the transfer of a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine and has sent it to parliament for final approval, Reuters reports.

In June, Bucharest announced it would transfer one of its two operational Patriot systems to Ukraine, provided that allies replace it with a similar air defense system. This system is one of five that NATO countries have promised to send to Kyiv in recent months.

"After parliament approves the law, the government will be able to issue the decision that makes the donation operational," said government spokesperson Mihai Constantin.

The bill also specifies that Romania will send proposals to the US for approval regarding the replacement of the donated battery and anticipates paying approximately $60 million in taxes and fees.

In 2017, Romania signed a $4 billion deal to purchase Patriots from RTX Corp (RTX.N), marking its largest procurement contract to date. The first shipment arrived in 2020. To date, Romania has received four systems, with two currently operational.

This comes amidst Russia intensifying aerial strikes on Ukraine. NATO allies have promised a total of seven air defense systems to Kyiv, but recently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that some of the promised Patriot systems are delayed.

Romania, a NATO member since 2004, has a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine, and fragments of Russian drones have repeatedly fallen on its territory during Russia’s massive attacks on Ukraine.